A THREE-YEAR-OLD WAS LEFT TERRIFIED AFTER YOBS HURLED BRICKS AT A BUS AND TAXI IN LEIGH.

A furious mother has criticised the thugs who could have hurt daughter Olivia Pratt when the projectile hit six inches below the window she was looking out of, denting the taxi.

Paula Vincent was with her partner John Pratt and Olivia when it happened in Blenheim Chase, Leigh.

The 34-year-old said: “We were on our way home and suddenly we heard a massive bang.

“My partner said a boy threw something at the vehicle and ran away to a nearby field.

“The driver of our taxi stopped and got out and there was a massive dent in the side of the cab.

“It was in the door, about six inches below a window where my daughter was sat.

“If it had gone through the window, it would have been a very different story. The dent in the cab was a few inches deep.

“My daughter kept asking what happened and what was going on. What do you tell a three-year-old with something like this.

“Just as our driver pulled over, a bus came on the other side of the road and we heard another big bang and someone had thrown something at the bus too.

“It is quite scary and I keep thinking what if it had hit us or the driver or if we had crashed.

“I think more people need to be aware of what’s happening and the teenager looked between 14 and 18-years-old and was wearing black clothes with a hood up.”

A spokesman for First Bus said: “While driving along Blenheim Chase, in Leigh, an object was thrown at the bus but thankfully no damage was caused and no injuries were sustained to travelling passengers.

“The incident has been reported to the police.”

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “We received several calls from members of the public on Sunday following reports of criminal damage in Leigh.

“Between 7.55pm and 8.05pm, a group of teenagers were seen throwing rocks at parked and passing vehicles.